Pants with ballistic panel shields

ABSTRACT

The pants with ballistic panel shields includes a pair of short or long pants with pockets located along the inseam over the anterior and medial aspects of the pant legs. The pockets are preferably shaped like an inverted “U”, and are secured at the top, arcuate portion by hook and loop fastening material or other appropriate fasteners. A ballistic panel is inserted into each pocket to protect the upper thigh and femoral arteries from penetration by bullets or other offensive weapons or devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to ballistic protective clothing, and particularly to pants with ballistic panel shields that cover a wearer's thighs to provide protection to the wearer's femoral arterial pathway.

2. Description of the Related Art

Gunshot wounds and fragmentation from incendiary explosive devices (IED) that impact the femoral artery of the human body are typically fatal. Body armor has existed for many years, but typically only covers the user's chest. Often, law enforcement officers who conduct raids are required to leave their desks without forewarning or time to properly prepare. These law enforcement officers typically do not wear bulletproof garments while in their offices, performing other tasks. These officers must be able to quickly put on bulletproof garments in order to protect themselves when conducting a raid or the like. Similarly, military personnel may be called into active combat at a moment's notice, and must be able to apply body armor and shielding quickly and easily, preferably in a manner, which still allows for total body mobility. Thousands of soldiers have been wounded, killed, or lost lower limbs in battlefields due to hits to their unprotected lower bodies.

Vascular injuries to the lower abdomen and lower extremities carry a high mortality rate. In a recent study, it was found that of 600 patients with penetrating trauma to the iliac vessels and femoral arteries, 39% of the patients died within 30 days of injury. In certain cases of penetrating trauma to the iliac vessels, cardiac arrest occurred within six minutes to eight minutes of impact. A need exists for body armor that is ready for use almost instantly, and that provides protection for the femoral artery, the femoral artery path, and the lower spine. Such body armor should also preferably be light and flexible so that a user may easily wear the armor without losing flexibility or dexterity. In co-pending Utility patent application Ser. No. 12/917,224, filed Nov. 1, 2010, the present inventor has attempted to address such body armor concerns with respect to ballistic shielding undergarments. However, there remains a need for ballistic shielding outer garments.

Thus, pants with ballistic panel shields solving the aforementioned problems are desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The pants with ballistic panel shields are long or short pants outerwear, providing comfortable support and ballistic shielding without limiting the wearer's dexterity or freedom of movement. Both long and short pants are equipped with supporting pockets that receive ballistic panel shields selected for desired ballistic impact resistance and impact energy dispersal requirements.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a set of long pants with ballistic panel shields according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an environmental, perspective view of a set of short pants with ballistic panel shields according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial front view of pants with ballistic panel shields according to the present invention, illustrating the manner in which the ballistic panel shields cover vulnerable portions of the femoral artery.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of short pants with ballistic panel shields according to the present invention, the pants being separated along one side seam and laid flat to show the ballistic panel pocket.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of long pants with ballistic panel shields according to the present invention, the pants being separated along one side seam and laid flat to show the ballistic panel pocket.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the Figures, the pants with ballistic panel shields include a waist portion and pair of leg portions (long or short), as is conventionally known. Pockets 14 are provided, each pocket 14 being secured to a respective one of the leg portions by stitching or the like. Ballistic plates 16, such as small arms protective inserts (SAPIs), level IIIA ballistic covers or the like, are further provided, each ballistic plate being removably placed within a respective pocket 14. Each pocket 14 is positioned on the respective leg portion on the anterior and medial aspect of the pant legs so that the respective ballistic plate 16 disposed therein covers and protects the wearer's femoral artery FA from ballistic penetration.

FIG. 1 illustrates the torso and leg portion of a user who is wearing a pair of long pants with ballistic panel shields 10 a. FIG. 2 illustrates the torso and leg portion of a user who is wearing a pair of short pants with ballistic panel shields 10 b. The long pants 10 a and the short pants 10 b may be used by soldiers, tactical personnel, and the like, and provide comfortable support for ballistic shielding, without limiting the wearer's dexterity or freedom of movement. It is contemplated that the pockets 14 can be sewn into combat ready pants as part of, e.g., an army combat uniform (ACU), commonly worn by combat duty soldiers.

As best seen in FIGS. 1-3, the long pair of pants 10 a and the short pair of pants 10 b, each include a pair of pockets 14, which, relative to the orientation of the pants, have an upside down U-shape, i.e., (∩), the top of each pocket 14 forming a convex arcuate peripheral border. The pockets 14 are secured to the leg portions by stitching or the like. The arcuate portion of the pocket 14 is openable to removably receive a ballistic plate 16. Moreover, the arcuate portion has a fastening system 19 that seals the pocket 14 in a closed configuration, thereby securing ballistic plate 16 inside the pocket 14 during use. The fastening system 19 may be mating hook and loop fasteners, a zipper, buttons, or the like.

The exemplary SAPI ballistic plate 16 can be, e.g., a small arms protective insert (SAPI), level IIIa ballistic cover, or the like. The plates 16 may be resilient or rigid, and have a variety of thickness, hardness and kinetic energy dispersing characteristics, as determined by contemplated operational requirements. It should be understood that the SAPI plate 16 shown in the drawings is for exemplary purposes only, and that any suitable type of ballistic plate may be utilized. Preferably the plate 16 follows the arcuate contouring of the top of pocket 14, as well as the linear contouring of the sides and bottom of pocket 14. The plate 16 can be other shapes, but the upside down U-shape offers the most protection and is the most comfortable. Actual dimensions of the pockets 14 are designed for compatibility with the particular dimensions of the ballistic shielding contemplated for use in the pants 10 a or 10 b.

FIG. 3 most clearly illustrates the positioning of the femoral artery FA with respect to the thigh T of a typical human leg and the exemplary long pants 10 a as they would be worn by a user. By virtue of the sewn-in design along the inseam of long leg portion 12, the pocket 14 is positioned over the thigh T such that the ballistic plate 16 covers and protects the wearer's femoral artery FA. A similar protective configuration is achieved by the sewn-in design of the pocket 14 along the inseam of the short pants 10 b.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pocket 14 may also be sewn (along the inseam) to the inside face of the leg 13 of the short pants 10 b, or to the inside portion of the leg 12 of the long pants 10 a, i.e., the pockets 14 may on the outside surface of the pants or concealed inside the pants.

As noted above, any suitable type of ballistic plate 16 may be used to provide the necessary shielding. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grades levels of body armor. The ballistic plates 16 can be one of the classification types of the National Institute of Justice, which include Type I, Type Ia, Type II, Type IIIa, Type III, and Type IV. For example, grade level IIIa, utilizes eighteen layers of ballistic material. Grade II uses fifteen layers of ballistic material and is capable of stopping a bullet fired by a 357 Magnum at a velocity of 1,395 feet per second. The same grade level stops a 9-mm bullet fired at a velocity of 1,175 feet per second. The level III protection stops a 7.63 NATO round of bullets traveling at a velocity of 2,750 feet per second. While the ballistic plates 16 are typically ceramic, the plates 16 may also be formed from steel or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. Pants with ballistic panel shields, comprising: a pair of pants having leg portions defining an inseam, the leg portions having an anterior and medial aspect; a pair of pockets, each of the pockets being attached along the inseam over the anterior and medial aspect of the respective pant legs of the leg portions; and ballistic panels made from a material resistant to impact from bullets and shell fragments, the panels being removably inserted within the pockets, each of the pockets being positioned on the respective leg portion so that the ballistic panels provide a shield to cover and provide ballistic protection of a wearer's femoral artery when the pants are worn.
 2. The pants according to claim 1, wherein the pants are long pants.
 3. The pants according to claim 1, wherein the pants are short pants.
 4. The pants according to claim 1, wherein said pockets are disposed on the outside of the pants.
 5. The pants according to claim 1, wherein said pockets are disposed on the inside of the pants.
 6. The pants according to claim 1, wherein said ballistic panels are ceramic plates.
 7. The pants according to claim 1, wherein said ballistic panels are steel plates.
 8. The pants according to claim 1, wherein said ballistic panels are ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plates.
 9. The pants according to claim 1, wherein each said pocket has a closed lower end and an open upper end, the open upper end having means for sealing said pocket shut after said ballistic panel is inserted therein.
 10. The pants according to claim 9, wherein the open upper end forms a convex arcuate peripheral border of said pocket.
 11. Pants with ballistic panels shields, comprising: a pair of pants having leg portions defining an inseam, the leg portions having an anterior and medial aspect; pockets attached along the inseam to the leg portions over the anterior and medial aspect of the respective pant legs, the pockets being adapted for removable insertion of ballistic panel shields within the pockets so that the ballistic panel shields inserted therein cover and provide ballistic protection of a wearer's femoral artery when the pants are worn.
 12. The pants according to claim 11, further comprising ballistic panel shields removably inserted within said pockets.
 13. The pants according to claim 12, wherein said ballistic panel shields are selected from one of ceramic plates, steel plates, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plates.
 14. The pants according to claim 11, wherein the pants are long pants.
 15. The pants according to claim 11, wherein the pants are short pants.
 16. The pants according to claim 11, wherein said pockets are disposed on the outside of the pants.
 17. The pants according to claim 11, wherein said pockets are disposed on the inside of the pants.
 18. The pants according to claim 11, wherein each said pocket has a closed lower end and an open upper end, the open upper end having means for sealing said pocket shut after the ballistic panel shield is inserted therein.
 19. The pants according to claim 18, wherein the open upper end forms a convex arcuate peripheral border of said pocket. 